Florence Dauman: “Mario, a childhood friend of my father (who later produced his films), quickly became my favorite companion in childhood, which he delightfully enriched. His first move, which was repeated many times to my great entertainment, was to roll me up in the entryway carpet, heave this shapeless bundle on his shoulders, go into the living room where various guests were before dining, unroll the carpet in the middle of the room and present… Cleopatra! Despite his pivotal role in documentary film history, Mario Ruspoli and his work have been unjustifiably ignored. His widow, Dominique Ruspoli, contacted me so that Argos Film would produce a movie about Mario. The idea struck me immediately, and I wanted to give back to the Prince what he was owed. “Finally, the tribute he deserved” were the words of his friend Chris Marker after having seen the documentary.”

“Dominique brought us wonderful gems from their house in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue. Reels of film, Nagra soundtracks, photos, paintings. All the music in the documentary is the work of Mario. Archive images, family movies, testimony of his relatives, collaborators, and friends (Edgar Morin, Yves Coppens, Brigitte and Gilles Delluc, Richard Leacock, D A. Pennebaker, Michel Brault, Albert Maysles) have been selected for the film.”

“Making a documentary is not enough of a tribute to a filmmaker worthy of the name. Mario’s films must have the opportunity to be seen. It was Gian Luca Farinelli and Cineteca di Bologna, and not I, that gave new life to Mario’s work, restoring all the films produced by Argos and hence allowing them to enthrall audiences once again.” Florence Dauman

AA: A wonderful documentary portrait of and tribute to a many-sided artist. Mario Ruspoli was not only a filmmaker but also a poet (Blues), a surrealist, an author of books (Revivre Venise avec les grands voyageurs), a talented musician, a big jazz fan, a knife collector, an admirer of female beauty, a distinguished beetle collector with an unbelievable eye, a deft handyman with a 35 year old Citroën, an admirer of handicrafts, and a respected researcher of the Lascaux caves. In an early bout with cancer Ruspoli lost an eye: like Ford, Walsh, Nick Ray, and De Toth he belongs to the one-eyed masters of the cinema. Ruspoli was a pioneer of the direct cinema, or perhaps the very first one with Les Hommes de baleine, as confirmed here by Michel Brault, Albert Maysles, D.A. Pennebaker, Richard Leacock, and Edgar Morin. Most importantly, Edgar Morin stresses Ruspoli's capacity to sympathize in his movies about mental hospitals: "he is obviously touched", "he is in a place where humanity is". Regard sur la folie is an important study about institutional psychotherapy: showing the importance of close contact in psychotherapy, and the value of making art in a mental institution. The many-sided Ruspoli made a sensitive study on alcoholism (Le dernier verre) and a portrait of the graphic artist and caricaturist Chaval.

The music track of this enchanting movie consists entirely of Ruspoli's own performances, and the theme blues is "Baby Please Don't Go" sung by him. The visual quality: Digibeta.

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About Me

Antti Alanen (born 1955) is Film Programmer at National Audiovisual Institute (Finland), which runs the Cinema Orion in Helsinki. This diary is an irregular notebook and scrapbook of rough notes on films and related matters. Spoiler alert: I spoil everything because for me the plot and the conclusion are essential to discuss!

Jazz Record of the Week 29/2017

Jazz Record of the Week 29/2017

Freddie Redd Quartet: The Music from The Connection [1960] (Freddie Redd Six Classic Albums 2/6)

Jazz Record of the Week 29/2017

Introducing Freddie Redd (Freddie Redd Six Classic Albums 1/6)

Jazz Record of the Week 28/2017

Kenny Dorham: Jazz Contrasts

Jazz Record of the Week 20/2017

Joe Henderson: Page One

Jazz Record of the Week 17/2017

Miroslav Vitouš: The Bass

Jazz Records of the Week 16/2017

Billie Holiday: All or Nothing at All (5 Original Albums 5/5)

Jazz Records of the Week 16/2017

Billie Holiday: Stay with Me (5 Original Albums 4/5)

Jazz Records of the Week 16/2017

Billie Holiday: Songs for Distingué Lovers (5 Original Albums 3/5)

Jazz Records of the Week 16/2017

Billie Holiday: Body and Soul (5 Original Albums 2/5)

Jazz Records of the Week 16/2017

Billie Holiday: Lady Sings the Blues (5 Original Albums Box Set 1/5)

Jazz Record of the Week 14/2017

The Mahavishnu Orchestra with John McLaughlin: The Inner Mounting Flame

Jazz Record of the Week 13/2017

Eero Koivistoinen: For Children

Jazz Record of the Week 8/2017

John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman

Jazz Record of the Week 7/2017

Duke Ellington and His Orchestra: In a Mellotone

Jazz Record of the Week 6/2017

Duke Ellington: Piano Reflections

Jazz Record of the Week 5/2017

Miles Davis: Bitches Brew

Jazz Record of the Week 4/2017

Charles Mingus Presents Charles Mingus

Jazz Record of the Week 3/2017

Dollar Brand Quartet: Africa – Tears and Laughter

Jazz Record of the Week 52/2016

Albert Ayler: Goin' Home

Jazz Record of the Week 49/2016

Charles Lloyd: Forest Flower, live at Monterey

Jazz Record of the Week 48/2016

Sinikka Oksanen, Antero Stenberg, Radio Sessions 1959-1966

Jazz Record of the Week 47/2016

Django Reinhardt Vol. 6: 1940: Nuages

Jazz Record of the Week 43/2016

The Essence of Louis Armstrong (Phontastic, Sweden, 1987)

Jazz Record of the Week 42/2016

Tomasz Stańko: Balladyna

Jazz Record of the Week 39/2016

Cannonball Adderley: Somethin' Else

Jazz Record of the Week 38/2016

Tommy Flanagan Trio: Overseas

Jazz Record of the Week 37/2016

Miles Davis: Miles Smiles

Jazz Record of the Week 36/2016

Red Garland Trio: Groovy

Jazz Record of the Week 35/2016

John Coltrane: My Favorite Things

Jazz Record of the Week 34/2016

The Dave Brubeck Quartet: Time Out

Jazz Record of the Week 33/2016

Christian Schwindt Quintet: For Friends and Relatives

Jazz Record of the Week 32/2016

Carola & Heikki Sarmanto Trio

Jazz Record of the Week 25/2016

Cecil Taylor: Silent Tongues

Jazz Record of the Week 24/2016

Sonny Rollins: A Night at the Village Vanguard (1957, 2 cd reissue 2016)

Jazz Record of the Week 23/2016

Charlie Mingus: Blues & Roots

Jazz Record of the Week 22/2016

Mal Waldron: Moods

Jazz Record of the Week 21/2016

Django Bates: Belovèd Bird

Jazz Record of the Week 20/2016

Jacques Loussier Trio: The Original Play Bach Vols. 1 & 2

Jazz Record of the Week 19/2016

Duke Ellington and Johnny Hodges: Side by Side

Jazz Record of the Week 18/2016

Ray Charles: Genius+Soul=Jazz. Complete 1956-1960 Sessions with Quincy Jones (Genius+Soul=Jazz, The Genius of Ray Charles, The Genius Hits the Road, and from The Great Ray Charles and The Genius After Hours)